Rijksmuseum first worldwide to get 5 star sustainability score

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is the first museum in the world to receive the highest attainable sustainability score of five stars for the management of an existing building, the museum said to NU.nl on Monday. The Rijksmuseum building received its high score in the certification of the BREEAM-NL In-Use sustainability label.

BREEAM stands for Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method. It is an international certification method for sustainability and assesses, among other things, the use of energy and water, and waste. BREEAM is used in over 80 countries, including the Netherlands.

"It is great that the Rijksmuseum received this recognition, but it does not stop here for us," Rijksmuseum director Taco Dibbits said to NU.nl. "We will continue to work in the coming years to contribute to a sustainable world."

The Rijksmuseum aims to be off the natural gas network by 2030. And in the coming years, the museum wants to reduce its energy use by at least 2 percent per year.

The Rijksmuseum building dates from 1885.